electricity bill..

**Scattymum** · 01-18-2006, 06:42 AM

we just got our bi monthly bill and it was HUGE (306euro)- the biggest its ever been, I am in shock as I was hoping it would be lower..

what can I do to lower it?, I have energy bulb in everywhere possible, the lights are turned off when we are not in a room, I have not used the dryer in a month and washer and dishwasher are on low temp settings, we only use the oven once a day for dinner as breakfasts and lunches are almost always cold or I use the microwave.

any ideas on anything else I can try to save usage?, I am now obsessed with lowering this bill

guest7 · 01-18-2006, 06:59 AM

Wooo.. That does seem high.. considering all your energy saving techniques.
I wonder if it is an ACTUAL read versus an ESTIMATE? Check your meter against what the bill says to see if it's accurate.

Sometimes, the company estimates for a few months- then does a drive by- that's when we get hit with the biggy- because they underestimated previously.

Or, maybe in your case! They are estimating THIS bill... and they overestimated based on last years use! Wouldn't that be nice!

Either way, you can call the company if your not sure. Maybe the price of energy went up. I know on this side of the pond... the cost have gone up all around.

**Scattymum** · 01-18-2006, 12:09 PM

it was definately an actual bill

. The price of leccy has gone up but I didnt think it would make that much difference. I got out last years bill and it was 100 euro cheaper for the same period.

**canadian gardener** · 01-18-2006, 12:31 PM

wow!

OK this may not be much consolation, but often when we frugalites cut it to the bone, and then prices go up, we look at what we could have saved, if the prices stayed the same and are in shock over the jump.

But it's not something you have the power to change (no pun intended)

Literally there are battles we have power over in frugality and others that just sneak up and bite our rear ends.

This may be the latter.

HOWEVER that said.

I did have someone stealing my electricity once. It was a contractor building the house next door.

He just up and plugged into my outside outlet.

Stop neighbors from doing that by cutting off the power to your outdoor outlets unless you are outside requiring the electric for some reason. Then you turn it on.

Another hidden sucker is all those little clocks and instant on features in TV etc.

Dh won't let me turn them off. But my sister for example only plugs her microwave in or her other small electrics, when she uses them and ignores the flashing of the clock thingy.

We would lose the programming on our VCR if I did that, and it's a complicated system dh has between the TV and VCR etc.\

Lastly check if your utility has a base charge.

Ours does. I hate it. It means that whether I use the electric or not, I'm in for the first so many kilowatts even if I use less.

Nasty but true.

So going below that point is pointless for me.

HTH

**canadian gardener** · 01-19-2006, 04:09 PM

thought about this some more.

Where I think I blow money is I often end up leaving the coffee pot on when I go down to the computer.

I get stuck in the village, having a blast, then come up for air, finding the coffee pot still hot, on it's little warming pad, which has been working away sipping electricity the whole time.

If I got really worried, I'd start shutting off more of my instant on things and see if that made a difference.

I unplugged a small fridge back in July, and dh studied the bill and our useage and the cost hasn't changed.

So I must be wasting somewheres or it's a more frugal fridge than I thought but electricity is a puzzler sometimes.

And dh works for our local electric utility so we should be more on top of things but it's still difficult to sort out.

I just go by those lists of which appliances take the most and try to reduce useage but it's disheartening when you try and it goes up.

**Scattymum** · 01-19-2006, 04:24 PM

Thanks for your advice Margery..you made me laugh about the coffee pot, I boiled the kettle 3 times while I was browsing the village this morning - guess I'm answering my own question about where the leccy is going LOL.

I'm just going to keep a better eye on things and hopefully the next bill will be lower, I was talking to a couple of friends today about this and they were shocked at how high theirs had been this time too so I think It could just be the ESB screwing us with the price!..Its funny how they tell us that they are upgrading things which is why the bills go up - they obviously havnt got to this part of the country yet as we have had a ridiculous amount of power cuts recently

okay I am waffling now!

anyway, onwards and upwards as my granny would say!

**FrugalMomof3** · 01-21-2006, 05:16 PM

I know what you mean... our bills have went up for past 2 months...

Month 1 - $48
Month 2 - $75
Month 3 - $125

I am worried about how we are gonna afford it if they keep going up! Now I am a turn the light off and saving electric freak... so I am a little annoyed with why it keeps going up.

**graci42** · 01-22-2006, 12:18 AM

I know my weekness...computer time...somehow 5 minutes to check my email turns into 2 hours!

Graci

**FrugalMomof3** · 01-22-2006, 06:56 PM

Hubby keeps his computer on all night but they say you waste more electricity turning your computer on and off then just leaving it on.

Plus most computers or the monitors are the Engery Saving kind (unless you have an older computer) and that shouldn't make your electric bill go up that much.

You have to remember it's that time of year atleast here on the East (PA) when your heating system needs electric to run, so that's where our's is going to....

Happy Sunday!
~Tracy~

**Englishlady** · 01-23-2006, 03:51 AM

Rachael, have you got a Vacuum flask? maybe you could make up one, have the first drink "fresh from the kettle" and then make up the flask ( without the milk

.........keeps it even hotter) and then you wouldn't have to boil the kettle all morning

We have ALL been guilty of re-boiling............I am sure you are not alone LOL!